FAIRR’s top news picks
Avian Flu Outbreak Spilling to Other Mammals. Will It Spill Over to Humans Too?
Telegraph | 2 February 2023
The new strain of Avian flu (H5N1) is of concern as it is now found to be affecting other mammals, including foxes and otters in Britain. World Health Organisation (WHO) feels that the greatest risk of the next pandemic will come from the intermediate animal species, which bridge the gap between birds and humans. This hints there is a chance for a virus to pick up mutations which could make it transmissible between humans, fear the WHO team. The biggest risk is the continuing existence of fur farms which public health experts are calling for action upon.
Cultured Pork Steak Smells and Tastes the Same as Real Meat
Daily Mail | 1 February 2023
World’s first ‘100%’ meat product grown in the lab has come into existence. British scientists have made a significant advancement in the alternate protein industry with a lab-grown pork steak which does not contain plant-based alternatives to collagen and gelatine, like other lab-grown meats but smells and tastes exactly like real meat. It can be a significant step towards reducing the demand for livestock farming and controlling carbon emissions.
Will Deforestation of the Gran Chaco Lead to the Extinction of Chacoan Peccary?
The Guardian | 31 January 2023
It is time to bring attention to the Gran Chaco, the second largest forest in South America after Amazon and the most deforested place on Earth. It is also home to 3,000 Chacoan peccaries and other species, such as the maned wolf, the giant armadillo and the jabiru, which are not found anywhere else on Earth. We only have 30 years to save Chacoan peccary from extinction at the current rate of deforestation, and the only way is by protecting the forest. The risks of deforestation as a result of animal agriculture are explored in the recent Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index.
More Food for Thought
Will vertical farming be the future | Donna Lu | The Guardian
Climate change gets more spotlight than biodiversity | Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash | Forbes
Cultured meat industry and its future | Alice Cumming | Business Leader
FAIRR’s Protein Pulse is a weekly collection of news articles related to the food sector that may be of interest to our members. FAIRR does not necessarily endorse the views of these news articles and assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies found in third-party content.
